About Us

History of Stinson Elementary

James Francis Stinson (seated, second from left) was born in Akron, Ohio. Orphaned at a young age, he later migrated to Missouri and then to Collin County as a young man. He arrived by wagon train with the Roundtree family and settled south of McKinney, where he went to work for Benjamin F. Biggs.

In 1876, he married Margaret Catherine Biggs (seated, third from left), the oldest daughter of his employer. They established their home on a small acreage he purchased along what is now Parker Road. Over time, Mr. and Mrs. Stinson expanded their holdings, eventually owning approximately 1,000 acres of land in various locations.

The earliest schools in the area were one-room schoolhouses, including one southwest of Parker and another at St. Paul, east of Parker. When the need arose for another school, the Stinsons donated land on the west side of their farm, and a new one-room school was built. It became known as Stinson School and was also affectionately referred to as “Who’d a Thought It,” reportedly inspired by a passerby’s remark during its construction. The Stinson children and many nearby students attended this school in its early years.

Mr. and Mrs. Stinson were the parents of ten children (seven pictured here).

It is in the spirit of the Stinson family’s generosity and dedication to education that Stinson Elementary exists today—to serve students and families in the surrounding neighborhoods. We welcome each family who enters our doors.